Conversation based search system and method using a touch-detection surface separated from the system&#39;s search window

ABSTRACT

A conversation based search method includes the steps of: proposing an utterance phrase corresponding to a query input by a user; and reforming the query by means of an answer from the user and offering a search result corresponding to the reformed query, wherein the user answer is presented by the user using a touch-detection surface separated from a user terminal search window in which the user receives the search results.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

A claim for priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 is made to Korean PatentApplication No. 10-2013-0137381 filed Nov. 13, 2013, in the KoreanIntellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The embodiments of the present invention described herein relate to asearch system and method offering a search result in correspondence witha user's query.

With the recent development of information technology, it is becomingavailable to access the internet anytime and anywhere. These days, mostinternet users are easily allowed to search information and then utilizetheir desired contents and services, regardless of time and space.

In the key-wording service, which is the most usual searching method, ifthere is an input of query for searching information by a user, theservice provides website information, news information, or documentinformation of file names, being involved in the query.

Referring to Korean Patent No. 10-1048546 (issued on Jul. 5, 2011) as anexample, there is disclosed that after extracting a keyword from a queryinput by a user, the keyword is used for offering a search resultcorresponding to the query.

Along the advancement of internet searching techniques, it is above allimportant for a search engine to correctly grasp a user's intention, aswell as to offer an accurate search result for the user's query.

Since users have faculty gaps between them in searching on the internetand varieties in making queries, search engines are required to havecapacities of accurately understanding users' intentions of queries andoffering search results desired by the users.

SUMMARY

One aspect of embodiments of the present invention is directed toprovide a search system and method acting as a guide rendering a user tobe able to search a document suitable for a user's intention by way of aconversation with the user.

Another aspect of embodiments of the present invention is directed toprovide a search system and method capable of guiding a user toward acorrect query suitable for a user's substantial intention, by way of aconversation, from a long, inferior, vague, and incomplete query.

In one embodiment, a conversation based search method may include thesteps of: proposing an utterance phrase corresponding to a query inputby a user; and reforming the query by means of an answer from the useron the utterance phrase and offering a search result corresponding tothe reformed query.

The utterance phrase may be an inquiry asking a condition correspondingto the query.

The step of proposing the utterance phrase may offer the utterancephrase along with the search result corresponding to the query, and thestep of offering the search result may update the search result, whichcorresponds to the query, into a search result corresponding to thereformed query.

The step of proposing the utterance phrase may offer, if the utterancephrase corresponding to the query is made in plurality, the plurality ofthe utterance phrases one by one in sequence.

The step of proposing the utterance phrase may offer, if the utterancephrase corresponding to the query is made in plurality, the plurality ofthe utterance phrases in a time.

The step of proposing the utterance phrase may display a conversationwindow containing the utterance phrase if there is an input of theutterance phrase, and switch the utterance phrase, which is displayed inthe conversation window, according a user's input to the conversationwindow.

The step of proposing the utterance phrase may display a conversationwindow containing the utterance phrase if there is an input of theutterance phrase, and skip a current utterance phrase, which isdisplayed in the conversation window, according an answer input throughthe conversation window and switch the current utterance phrase to thenext utterance phrase.

The step of proposing the utterance phrase may display a conversationwindow containing the utterance phrase if there is an input of theutterance phrase, and according an answer input through the conversationwindow and connectivity of the utterance phrase, skip a currentutterance phrase, which is displayed in the conversation window, andswitches the current utterance phrase to the next utterance phrase orre-display the current utterance phrase.

The reformed query may be made from a combination with at least one ofkeywords contained in the query.

If the utterance phrase is made in plurality, the step of offering thesearch result may reform the query to update the search result wheneverthere is an input of an answer to each utterance phrase.

If the utterance phrase is made in plurality, the step of offering thesearch result may reform the query at once to offer the search resultafter there is an input of an answer to the last one of the utterancephrases.

If the utterance phrase is made in plurality, the step of offering thesearch result may intermediately reform the query to update the searchresult whenever there is an input of an answer to at least a part of theutterance phrases.

In another embodiment, a conversation based search system may include:an utterance section configured to propose an utterance phrase involvedin a query input by a user; and a search section configured to reformthe query by means of an answer of the user to the utterance phrase andoffer a search result corresponding to the reformed query.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and features will become apparent from thefollowing description with reference to the following figures, whereinlike reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the variousfigures unless otherwise specified, and wherein:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a relation between a user terminal anda search system in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a search method to offer a search resultdesired by a user through a conversation in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3 to 10 exemplarily illustrate search screens permitting aconversation between a user and a system;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of thesearch system offering a search result desired by a user through aconversation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;and

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of theuser terminal in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments will be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings. The present invention, however, may be embodiedin various different forms, and should not be construed as being limitedonly to the illustrated embodiments. Rather, these embodiments areprovided as examples so that this disclosure will be thorough andcomplete, and will fully convey the present invention to those skilledin the art. Accordingly, known processes, elements, and techniques arenot described with respect to some of the embodiments of the inventiveconcept. Unless otherwise noted, like reference numerals denote likeelements throughout the attached drawings and written description, andthus descriptions will not be repeated. In the drawings, the sizes andrelative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the inventiveconcept. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” areintended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearlyindicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms“comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification,specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations,elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence oraddition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations,elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term“and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of theassociated listed items. Also, the term “exemplary” is intended to referto an example or illustration.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which this inventive concept belongs. Itwill be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonlyused dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that isconsistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and/orthe present specification and will not be interpreted in an idealized oroverly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

Now hereinafter will be described exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention in conjunction with accompanying drawings.

These embodiments of the present invention may be applicable to searchengine systems for offering search results corresponding to queries madeby users.

In this description, the term ‘document’ means data as targets to besearched in correspondence with a query. This document may includeinformal data such as web data, e.g., blogs or bulletin boards, as wellas formal data such as databases.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a relation between a user terminal 101and a search system 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. In FIG. 1, the arrow denotes that data can be received andtransmitted through a wired/wireless network between the search system100 and the user terminal 101.

The user terminal 101 may denote all kinds of terminals, e.g., apersonal computer, a smart phone, a tablet computer, etc., capable ofaccessing web/mobile sites, or installing and executing service-specificapplications. For this, the user terminal 101 may conduct generalservice operations, such as service screen edition, data input, datatransmission and reception, data storage, etc., under the control of theweb/mobile site or the service-specific application.

The search system 100 functions as a search engine to offer a searchresult from a search conducted in a computer network such as theInternet, corresponding to a query made by a user. Especially, thesearch system 100 may act as a guide to help a user to obtain hisdesired result, by inducing the user to arrive at a correct querythrough a conversation with the user and thereby correcting an incorrectquery. For the purpose of correcting a query for a search, the searchsystem 100 may be implemented in a single system coupled with aconversation system (not shown) which processes a conversation with auser, or in a type including an additional system that cooperates withthe conversation system.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a search method to offer a search resultdesired by a user through a conversation in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. This method can be executed throughthe steps in the search system, as illustrated over FIGS. 1 to 11.

In step S210, if there is an input query by a user, the search system100 may begin a conversation with the user for correcting the query. Ifthe query is vague or too broad in scope or category, many documentsirrelevant to the user's intention for search can be inadvertentlyemerged. To solve such a problem, the search system 100 may offer atleast an utterance phrase for a conversation with the user in order tocorrect and further define the query.

In this description, the term ‘utterance phrase’, which is prepared toclearly ask essential items necessary for revising a query, may meaninquiry for examining a search condition involved in the query from auser.

A conversation scenario with a user may be made by preliminarilydefining the content and sequence of the utterance phrases respective tokeywords available as queries. The following Table 1 gives exemplaryconversation scenarios.

TABLE 1 Conversation Scenario Keyword Utterance phrase 1 Utterancephrase 2 . . . Gift Whom do you gift? How old is he (she)? . . . TravelWhere do you travel? What is theme for travel? . . . Coordinate What isgender? How old? . . . Hand Which communication Which manufacturer do .. . phone company do you find? you find? Music What kind of genre do youWhich musician do you . . . find? prefer? Weather Which country do youfind? Which area do you find? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The conversation scenarios are composed to determine contents of theutterance phrases, depending on a user's answer to the previousutterance phrase. For instance, if a user answers “Mother” to an inquirythat is “Whom do you gift?”, the next inquiry may be proposed as “Howold is your mother?” Otherwise if a user answers “Friend” to the inquiry“Whom do you gift?”, the next inquiry may become “How old is yourfriend?” in sequence.

These keywords and conversation scenarios are just exemplarily shown,not restrictive hereto. Rather, their items can be extended as much as asearch target likes.

In one embodiment, after extracting a keyword from a query, the searchsystem 100 may offer utterance phrases according to a conversationscenario involved in the extracted keyword. During this, if multipleutterance phrases to a query input by a user are prepared, the searchsystem 100 may offer the plurality of utterance phrases one by one insequence, or offer all of the utterance phrases at one time.

Referring to FIG. 3, if a user inputs “Gifts” as a query for a searchinto a search window 310, the search system 100 executes a searchoperation with the ‘Gift’ as a keyword and offers a search result(hereinafter, referred to as ‘first search result’) 320 corresponding tothe current keyword.

During this, the search system 100 may activate a conversation window330, together with the first search result 320, for conversation with auser. The conversation window 330 may include an utterance phrase 331for asking an item to revise a query, an index 332 for the utterancephrases 331, and others.

In the embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the search system 100 mayshow the index 332 together with the utterance phrase 331 at the sametime while displaying the conversation window 330. As another example,the search system 100 may basically show the utterance phrase 331 in theconversation window 330 without disclosing the index 332, and thereaftershow the index 332 in the conversation window 330 if there is an inputof click, touch, etc. into the conversation window 330 by a user. Duringthis, the index 332 disclosed in the conversation window 330 may beshown in various patterns, e.g. cards, characters, or lists.

From the conversation scenario exemplarily given in Table 1, it ispermissible that the utterance phrase “Whom do you gift?” can be firstuttered in the conversation window 330, responding to the keyword ‘Gift’included in a query. Upon this, if a user inputs his answer (e.g.“Mother”), the next inquiry may be additionally given to utter “How oldis your mother?”, which asks an age of a person to be gifted, in theconversation window 430 as shown in FIG. 4. After completing a user'sanswer input to the last one of the utterance phrases, an ending mention(e.g. “Be happy with these gifts”) may be displayed in the conversationwindow 530 as shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, the search system 100 mayconduct inquiries and answers so as to approach a search result suitablefor a user's desire toward the need of “Gifts recommendation,” and thenobtain items for revising the query.

Additionally, at the last utterance step, the conversation window 530may therein disclose links relevant to knowledge joint communitiescapable of sharing information between different users. If a user entersa relevant link, it may be permissible to open an input room foraccepting characters and images therein. In the input room, there may bea basic text (e.g. “Please recommend me a gift for my mother in her50s”), which is automatically made from the contents of the utterancephrases and the user's answers, in the form of a natural sentence.

At the index 332 or 432 displayed in the conversation window 330 or 430,answers predictable from the utterance phrases may be proposed onpurpose to make a user convenient and, in addition to the proposedanswers, a “direct input” function may be also provided to permit a userto directly enter his answers. With this, cases included in the index332 or 432 may be formed of recommended answers extracted from the logdata. Additionally, the index 332 or 432 may include a sentence (e.g.“Don't know”) that functions to skip a current inquiry and go to thenext inquiry if it is hard for a user to exactly answer to the currentinquiry.

The search system 100 may provide an input window (not shown) capable ofaccommodating an answer if a user selects the “direct input” function.For the input window, an exclusive window may be additionally providedto accept various input modes such as text input, voice input, etc., orthe search window 310 or 410 may be even used therefor while displayinga query.

Frequently, too much unnecessarily long query causes the search resultto be degraded. In order to solve this problem, the search system 100may offer an utterance phrase for guiding a query to a pithier andshorter one, clarifying the intention of the query. As an example, if auser enters a query “Travel gifts for grandfather in the 80s”, thesearch system 100 may offer an utterance phrase (e.g. “Please try theshort sentence as follows. You can find more results. Index:‘grandfather in the 80s’, ‘Travel gift for grandfather’, etc.”)

Additionally, the search system 100 may change the contents of utterancephrase, which is displayed in the conversation window, depending on auser's input responding to an inquiry of the conversation window. A useris able to confirm inquiries to his queries, or if a current inquiry ofthe search system 100 seems improper, skip the current inquiry and go tothe next inquiry. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, a user ispermitted to skip a current inquiry (“Whom do you gift?”), by making agesture of shifting the conversation window from right to left, and thenenter an answer to the next inquiry (“How old is the person to begifted?). It is also allowable for a user to make a gesture of shiftingthe conversation window from left to right and then review the inquiryprior to the current inquiry.

Additionally, the search system may allow a user to skip the currentutterance phrase, which is displayed in the conversation window inresponse to the answer of the user, and switch to the next utterancephrase. A user may be permitted to input an answer, such as “Don'tknow”, “Cannot know”, “No idea”, etc., to an inquiry of the searchsystem 100 and the search system 100 may progress the subsequentutterance suitable for such an answer. For instance, as shown in FIG. 7,in the case a user enters “Don't know” through the “direct input”function after the research system 100 proposes the inquiry “How old isyour teacher?” when the query is “Gifts for teacher”, the search system100 may skip its corresponding inquiry and continue to converse with theuser while proposing the next inquiry “What is your teacher's gender?”

Additionally, the search system 100 may skip the current utterancephrase, which is displayed in the conversation window in accordance withconnectivity between the utterance phrase and the user's answer, turn tothe next utterance phrase, or propose the current utterance phrase onemore time. A user may enter an answer irrelative to an inquiry of thesearch system 100 because of typographical errors, etc. and the searchsystem 100 may conduct a normal conversation even to the irrelativeanswer to the inquiry. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, if aninquiry “How old is your teacher?” is proposed in response to the query“Gifts for teacher” and the user enters an answer such as “abc” that isirrelative to the inquiry, the search system 100 may display and inquirethe “How old is your mother?” once more.

Accordingly, the search system 100 may derive an exact and definitequery from a vague and broad query by inquiring of a user about itemsnecessary for revising the vague and broad query by way of aconversation with the user.

Returning to FIG. 2, in step S220, after reforming a query by means ofuser's answers to an utterance phrase, the search system 100 may offer asearch result corresponding to the reformed query (hereinafter, referredto as ‘new query’). In other words, the search system may update asearch result, which corresponds to a new query, from a first searchresult through query reformation with user's answers. During this, thesearch system may compose a new query by correlating user's answers withat least one of keywords included in a query.

In one embodiment, for a plurality of utterance phrases, whenever user'sanswers are input respectively to the plural utterance phrases, thesearch system 100 may every time compose a new query and offer a searchresult corresponding to the new query.

Exemplarily, if a user selects “Mother” at the index 332 provided by theconversation window 330 of FIG. 3, the search system 100 mayreformatively generate a new query “Gifts for mother?” by combining theanswer “Mother” with the query “Gifts” input into the conversationwindow by the user. During this, as shown in FIG. 4, when proposingutterance phrases, the search system 100 may display the new query“Gifts for mother” in the search window 410 and offer a search result420 corresponding to the new query “Gifts for mother”.

Also, if a user selects “50s” as an answer from the index 432 inresponse to an additional utterance phrase 431 that is proposed throughthe conversation window 430 of FIG. 4, the search system 100 may reforma new query “Gifts for mother in her 50s” as being revised by combiningthe answer “50s” with the former new query “Gifts for mother” that wasreformed at the previous step. During this, as shown in FIG. 5, theresearch system 100 may display “Gifts for mother in her 50s” as the newquery in the search window 510, when proposing the next utterancephrase, and propose a search result 520 corresponding to the “Gifts formother in her 50s”.

In another embodiment, in the case multiple utterance phrases areproposed, the search system 100 may form a new query from the user'sanswers to the plural utterance phrases after the user's answer to thelast one of the plural utterance phrases. With this condition, thesearch system 100 may update a search result corresponding to the newquery after the user's answer to the last utterance phrase, not updatingevery search result for each utterance phrase.

Additionally, in the case of plural utterance phrases, as anotherembodiment, the search system 100 may intermediately form new querieswhenever user's answers are being input in response to at least a partof the plural utterance phrases, and offer search results correspondingto the new queries. For instance, if the utterance phrases are four innumber, the search system 100 may divide the four utterance phrases intotwo groups by two for each and then update the search results by formingnew queries to each of the two utterance phrases.

Additionally, the search system 100 may further offer a relevant keywordindex corresponding to every search responding to queries and newqueries. In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the search system100 may recommend relevant keywords 901, e.g., “Gifts for birthday”,“Special gifts”, “Gifts for friend”, etc., for the query “Gifts”, andrecommend relevant keywords 901, e.g., “Birthday gifts for mother”,“Gifts for parents”, etc., for a new query “Gifts for mother in her50s”.

Additionally, the search system 100 may offer a search result indexrecommended by other users to correspondents for every search respondingto queries and new queries. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, thesearch system 100 may offer a recommended result index 1001 including “Scosmetics”, “D scarves”, “M scarves”, “C bags”, “S cosmetic sets”, etc.,for a new query “Gifts for mother in her 50s”.

This conversation based search method may include more abridged oradditional operations on the basis of the description in conjunctionwith FIGS. 1 through 10. Otherwise, two or more operations may becombined, and the operations may be modified in order or position.

The methodologies according to embodiments of the present invention maybe implemented in the form of program instructions prosecutable throughdiverse computer systems and recorded into a computer readable medium.

A program according to embodiments of the present invention may becomposed in a PC based program or an application for mobile terminals. Aconversation based search application according to embodiments of thepresent invention may be implemented in the form of independentlyoperative program, or in-app of a specific application, being operableon the specific application.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of thesearch system 100 offering a search result desired by a user through aconversation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.As shown in FIG. 11, the conversation based search system 100 may beconfigured to include a processor 1100 having a search section 1110 andan utterance section 1120, a memory 1101, a network interface 1102 and adatabase 1103.

The memory 1101 stores a program including instructions involved in aconversation based search service routine. The conversation based searchservice is capable of offering a search result most suitable for auser's intention by deriving an exact query from a user's query by wayof a conversation with the user. The steps executed in the search systemas described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 10 are processed by meansof the program stored in the memory 1101. In one embodiment, the memory1101 may be a hard disk, a solid state disk, an SD card, or otherstorage medium.

The network interface 1102 couples the conversation based search systemto a network in order to complete communication with user terminalsutilizing the conversation based service, and the database 1103 storesconversation scenarios including the content and sequences of utterancephrases respective to keywords corresponding to queries from users.

The processor 1100, as a device disposing of the operations inaccordance with the instructions of the program stored in the memory1101, may include a microprocessor such as a central processing unit(CPU). The internal configuration of the processor 1100 may be asfollows.

The search section 1110 functions to offer a search result correspondingto a query input by a user, i.e., an initial search result. In order tooffer such a search result corresponding to the user's query, the searchsection 1110 may target informal data such as web data, e.g., blogs,bulletin boards, etc., as well as formal data such as databases.

During this, the utterance section 1120 proposes an utterance phrase toclearly require a search condition of a user by offering a conversationfunction with the user for the purpose of revising the user's inputquery.

Additionally, when offering a search result corresponding to a queryfrom the search section 1110, the utterance section 1120 may propose anutterance phrase relevant to the correspondent query. In one embodiment,the utterance section 1120 may extract keywords from a query and thenpropose an utterance phrase selected from the database 1103 inaccordance with a conversation scenario relating to the keywordscorresponding to the query. During this, if the multiple utterancephrases to a query input by a user are prepared, the search system 100may propose the utterance phrases one by one in sequence through theconversation window under a predetermined order, or propose theutterance phrases at one time.

Additionally, the utterance section 1120 may switch an utterance phrase,which is displayed in the conversation window, to another in accordancewith an input by a user who enters an answer while monitoring theconversation window. The user is able to confirm an inquiry of thesearch system to his query, or if a current inquiry of the search systemseems to be inadequate, skip the current inquiry and then go to the nextinquiry thereof.

Additionally, according to a user's answer input through theconversation window, the utterance section 1120 may also skip a currentutterance phrase, which is displayed in the conversation window, andswitch the current utterance phrase to the next one. A user is able toenter an answer such as “Don't know”, “Cannot know”, “No idea”, etc. andthe search system 100 may continue a conversation suitable for theuser's answer.

Additionally, according to the connectivity between a current utterancephrase and a user's answer, the utterance phrase 1120 may skip thecurrent utterance phrase, which is displayed in the conversation window,and switch the current utterance phrase to the next one, or re-proposethe current utterance phrase. It is also possible for a user to enter ananswer, due to a typographical error, irrelevant to the inquiry of thesearch system 100, thus the search system may arrange an appropriateconversation even for the irrelevant answer.

The search section 1110 may reform a query by means of a user's answerto an utterance phrase and then offer a new search result correspondingto the reformed new query. Therefore, the search system may update aninitial search result to the new search result corresponding to the newquery by way of such query reformation with the user's answer.

In one embodiment, if multiple utterance phrases are proposed, thesearch section 1110 may compose a new query, whenever there is an inputof a user's answer to each utterance phrase, and then offer a searchresult corresponding to the new query.

In another embodiment, if multiple utterance phrases are proposed, thesearch section 1110 may form a new query at one time from all of user'sanswers after receiving the user's answer to the last one of the pluralutterance phrases. Here, the search section 1110 updates a search resultcorresponding to a new query after receiving a user's answer to the lastutterance phrase, not updating the search result every time for eachutterance phrase.

In still another embodiment, if multiple utterance phrases are proposed,the search section 1110 may offer a search result corresponding to a newquery that is intermediately formed whenever there is an input of auser's answer to at least a part of the utterance phrases.

This conversation based search system and method according toembodiments of the inventive concept may provide a search guidingservice for revising a query through a conversation with a user so as tomake it possible to find a document suitable for the user's intention.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of theuser terminal 101 in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

The user terminal may include one or more processors 1201, a memory1202, a peripheral interface 1203, an input/output (I/O) subsystem 1210,a touch screen 1221, a sensor 1222, other I/O devices 1223, a radiofrequency (RF) circuit 1231, an audio circuit 1232, a power circuit1233, and an external port 1234. These components may communicate eachother by way of one or more buses or signal lines.

FIG. 12 exemplarily shows an example of the user terminal 101. The userterminal 101 may include more or less components than the illustrated,include two or more components coupled to each other, or have aconfiguration or disposition with different components. The componentsshown in FIG. 12 may be fabricated and arranged in hardware, software,or a combination with hardware and software, including an integratedcircuit specific for one or more signal processing features orapplications.

The memory 1202 may include a high-speed random access memory, amagnetic disk static random access memory, a dynamic random accessmemory, a read only memory, a flash memory or a nonvolatile memory. Thememory 1202 may contain a software module, instructions assemblage orother data necessary for operations of the terminal. An access to thememory 1202 by means of other components such as the processor 1201 andperipheral interface 1203 may be controlled by the processor 1201.

The peripheral interface 1203 maybe coupled to an input and/or outputperipheral device of the terminal to one or more processors 1201 and thememory 1202. The processor 1201 may execute a software module orinstructions assemblage stored in the memory 1202, performing variousfunctions for the terminal and processing data.

The RF circuit 1231 may transmit and receive an RF signal that is knownas an electromagnetic signal. The RF circuit 1231 may convert anelectric signal into an electromagnetic signal, convert anelectromagnetic signal into an electric signal, or communicate with acommunication network and other communication devices via anelectromagnetic signal. The RF circuit 1231 may include a well-knowncircuit for executing these functions. This circuit may include anantenna system, an RF transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, oneor more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a CODEC chipset, aSubscriber Identification Module (SIM) card, a memory, etc., but is notrestrictive hereto. The RF circuit 1231 may be operable in communicationwith a wireless network such as cellular telephone network, wirelessLocal Area Network (LAN) and/or Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), anetwork like the internet that is called ‘World Wide Web (WWW)’, and/orother devices by way of wireless communication. This wirelesscommunication may include Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM),Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Wideband Code Division MultipleAccess (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time DivisionMultiple Access (TDMA), Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) (of IEEE801 11a, IEEE 801 11b, IEEE 801 11g and/or IEEE 801 11n, etc.), Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP), Worldwide interoperability for MicrowaveAccess (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE), e-mail protocol such asInternet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) and/or Post Office Protocol(POP), instant messaging such as eXensible Messaging and PresenceProtocol (XMIPP), Session Initiation Protocol for Instant Messaging andPresence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE), Instant Messaging and PresenceService (IMPS) or Short Message Service (SMS), a communication protocolthat has not been yet developed until the filing data of the presentapplication. Further, the wireless communication may operable with aplurality of communication protocols and technologies, not restrictiveto the aforementioned types.

The audio circuit 1232 may utilize a speaker and/or a microphone toprovide an audio interface between a user and the terminal. The audiocircuit 1232 may receive audio data from the peripheral interface 1203,convert the audio data into an electric signal, and then transfer theelectric signal to the speaker. The speaker may convert the electricsignal into a human-audible sound wave. The audio circuit 1232 mayreceive an electric signal that is converted from a sound wave by amicrophone. The audio circuit 1232 may convert an electric signal intoaudio data and transfer the audio data to the peripheral interface 1203for processing the audio data. This audio data may be found from ortransferred to the memory 1202 or the RF circuit 1231 by means of theperipheral interface 1203. According to an aspect of the embodiments,the audio circuit 1232 may further include a headset jack. The headsetjack may provide an interface between the audio circuit 1232 and aportable audio input/output peripheral device such as a headset equippedwith input and output terminals or an output-only headphone.

The power circuit 1233 may supply power to all or a part of thecomponents of the user terminal 101. In one embodiment, the powercircuit 1233 may include a power management system, one or more powersources such as battery or Alternating Current (AC), a charging system,a power failure detection circuit, a power converter or an inverter, apower state indicator, and other components for generating, managing anddistributing power of the user terminal.

The I/O subsystem 1210 may be coupled to an input/output peripheraldevice, such as the touch screen 1221, the sensor 1222 or the other I/Odevices 1223, to the peripheral interface 1203. The I/O subsystem 1210may include a display controller 1211, a sensor controller 1212, or oneor more I/O controller 1213. According to another aspect of theembodiments, the touch screen 1221, the other I/O devices 1223 may becoupled to the peripheral interface 1203 without the I/O subsystem 1210.

An aspect of the embodiments, at least one of the processor 1201, theperipheral interface 1203 and the I/O subsystem 1210 may be integratedon a single chip. Otherwise, at least one of the processor 1201, theperipheral interface 1203 and the I/O subsystem 1210 may be partlyintegrated on a single chip.

The display controller 1211 may receive an electric signal from,transfer an electric signal to, or receive/transfer an electric signalfrom/to the touch screen 1221 including a touch-detection area. Uponoperation of the display controller 1211, the touch screen 1221 maydisplay a visible output for a user. This visible output may include agraphic pattern, a text, an icon, a video and a combination with them(hereinafter, referred to as ‘graphic pattern’). In an aspect of theembodiments, a part or all of the visible output may correspond to theuser interface described hereinbelow.

The touch screen 1221 may be used with the technology of Liquid CrystalDisplay (LCD), Light emitting Polymer Display (LPD) or Active-MatrixOrganic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED), but is available with otherdisplay technology. Additionally, the touch screen 1221 and the displaycontroller 1211 are operable in capacitive, resistive, infrared orsurface acoustic wave technology, but are available with a known orcoming touch detection technology, not restrictive hereto. Additionally,the touch screen 12 and the display controller 1211 may detect acontact, a motion or release of the contact by means of a proximitysensor array or other components for determining one or more contactpoints with the touch screen 1221.

The display controller 1211 may be coupled to a screen not including atouch-detection area. The screen without touch-detection area mayreceive an electrical signal from the display controller 1211 anddisplay a visible output for a user. The screen without touch-detectionarea may used with the technology of Plasma Display Panel (PDP),Electronic Paper Display (EPD), LCD, LPD, OLED or AMOLED, but areavailable with other display technologies. A user terminal utilizing ascreen without touch-detection area may provide input/output devicessuch as a physical keyboard, mouse, button, etc. as a user interface foroperation.

One or more of the other I/O controllers 1213 may receive an electricsignal from the other I/O devices 1223 or transfer an electric signal tothe other I/O devices 1223. The other I/O devices 1223 may for exampleinclude a button, a touchpad, a dial, a slider switch, a joystick, etc.Additionally, the other I/O controller 1213 may be coupled up to anyoneof an infrared port, an USB port and a pointer device such as mouse.

According to an aspect of the embodiments, the other I/O devices 1223may include one or more physical or virtual buttons. For virtualbuttons, the buttons and button controller may be parts of the touchscreen 1221 and the display controller 1211 respectively. In an aspectof the embodiments, the button may include an up/down button, a lockerbutton or a push button for controlling volume of the speaker ormicrophone. In an embodiment, if a user shortly presses the push button,the touch screen 1221 is released from its lockup state. Then, gesturingon the touch screen may permit the terminal to begin its process ofreleasing its lockout state. If a user lengthily presses the pushbutton, the terminal may be powered on or off.

According to another aspect of the embodiments, the other I/O devices1223 may include one or more physical keyboards or virtual softkeyboards. The keyboard may be used with a QWERTY symbol and/or anon-QWERTY symbol. In the virtual soft keyboard, the soft keyboard andsoft keyboard controller may be parts of the touch screen 1221 and thedisplay controller 1211 respectively. In an embodiment, the softkeyboard may include graphic patterns (or soft keys) less than keys ofthe physical keyboard in number. With this, a user is able to select oneor more graphic patterns in the soft keyboard, and thereby display oneor more correspondent symbols on the touch screen 1221.

According to still another aspect of the embodiments, the other I/Odevices 1223 may include a touchpad for activating or inactivating aspecific function. In an embodiment, different from the touch screen1221, the touchpad may include a touch-detection area not displaying avisible output. Additionally, the touchpad may be a touch-detectionsurface separated from the touch screen 1221, or a part of atouch-detection surface formed and extended by the touch screen 1221.

As such, according to the embodiments of the present invention, it iscapable of effectively revising an incomplete query by guiding theincomplete query that is inferior or vague, which is caused by its longsentence, to a clear query by way of a conversation with a user.Moreover, according to the embodiments of the inventive concept, it isalso capable of offering a search result most adequate to a user'sintention through a direct and definite inquiry by clearly asking theuser items necessary for revising a query.

The devices described above may be implemented with hardware components,software components, and/or combinations of hardware and softwarecomponents. For instance, the devices and components described in theembodiments may be implemented using one or more general computers orspecialized computers, as like a processor, a controller, an ArithmeticLogic Unit (ALU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a microcomputer, aField Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Unit (PLU), amicroprocessor, or any other device capable of executing and respondinginstructions. A processing unit may conduct an Operating System (OS) andone or more software applications executed on the OS. Additionally, aprocessing unit may access, store, operate, process and generate data inresponse to execution of software. For convenience of understanding,while there is a case that a processing unit is used in singularity, itcan be seen by those skilled in the art that the processing unit mayinclude a plurality of processing elements and/or plural types ofprocessing elements. In an embodiment, a processing unit may include aplurality of processors, or one processor and one controller. Otherwise,a processing unit may be featured in another processing configurationsuch as parallel processor.

The software may include computer programs, codes, instructions, or oneor more combinations of them, and compose a processing unit to make adesired operation, or independently or collectively command a processingunit to operate. The software and/or data, for the purpose of beinganalyzed or providing instructions or data, may be permanently ortemporarily embodied in a material machine, a component, a physicaldevice, virtual equipment, a computer storage medium or unit, or asignal wave being transferred. The software may be distributed over acomputer system coupled to a network, and stored or executed in themanner of distribution. The software and data may be stored in one ormore computer readable recording media.

This method according to the embodiments of the present invention may beimplemented in the form of program instructions executable throughvarious computing tools and recorded in a computer readable medium. Thecomputer readable medium may include program instructions, data files,data structures, etc. individually or associatively. The programinstructions recorded in the medium may be specifically designed andformed for the embodiments, but may be known and practicable by thoseskilled in the art. The computer readable medium may be exemplified toinclude a hardware device especially formed to store and execute programinstructions, e.g. a magnetic medium such as hard disk, floppy disk ormagnetic tape, an optical recording medium such as CD-ROM or DVD, amagneto-optical medium such as floptical disk, or a memory such as ROM,RAM or flash memory. The program instructions may exemplarily includehigh class language codes executable in a computer by means of aninterpreter, as well as machine language codes as made by a compiler.The aforementioned hardware unit may be formed to be operable as one ormore software modules in order to perform the operations according tothe embodiments of the inventive concept, and as are the reverse.

As described above, it is possible to effectively revise an incompletequery by guiding a long, inferior or vague query into a correct querythrough a conversation with a user.

Moreover, expressly asking a user an item necessary for adjusting aquery is helpful to offering a search result most suitable for a user'sintention, by way of direct and clear questioning and answering process.

While the present invention has been described with reference toexemplary embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat various changes and modifications may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention. For instance, eventhough the technical manners aforementioned are performed in differentorders, and/or the components, such as systems, structures, devices,units, circuits, etc., are combined or cooperated in different ways orreplaced with different components or equivalents, the present inventionwill be desirably achieved without insufficiency.

Therefore, other implementations, embodiments and equivalents to theclaims may be wholly included in the claims set forth hereinafter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for searching the internet from a userterminal through a search system functioning as a search engine, whereinthe search system is in communication with the internet, comprising:extracting a keyword from an initial query input into a search window bya user through the user terminal, wherein the search system isconfigured to search the internet for documents, wherein the documentsare comprised of websites, web data, and databases; proposing, by thesearch system, at least one predetermined utterance phrase correspondingto the initial query, based on the extracted keyword, wherein thepredetermined utterance phrase has been selected from a database thatincludes a plurality of keywords stored therein, with each of saidstored keywords being associated, in the database, with at least oneutterance phrase; presenting the utterance phrase associated with theextracted keyword to the user via the user terminal into the searchwindow; receiving an answer to the presented utterance phrase from theuser by a touch on a touch-detection surface separated from the searchwindow; reforming, by the search system, the initial query based on theanswer from the user to the utterance phrase that was proposed to theuser by the search system and providing the reformed query to the searchwindow; conducting a search of the internet based on the reformed query,said step of conducting a search of the internet is only performed afterreceiving the user's answer to a final utterance phrase presented to theuser, without conducting a search of the internet based on the initialquery; and offering, by the search system, a search result to the uservia the user terminal, where the offered search result corresponds tothe search based on the reformed query, wherein the search resultincludes a listing of a plurality of websites, wherein the reformedquery is always made from the answer from the user to the utterancephrase in combination with at least one of the keywords contained in theinitial query.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when aplurality of the utterance phrases corresponding to the query areproposed, the plurality of the utterance phrases are offered to the userterminal one by one in sequence.
 3. The method according to claim 2,wherein proposing the utterance phrases comprises: displaying aconversation window containing at least one of the utterance phrases;and switching the utterance phrase, which is displayed in theconversation window, according to user's input to the conversationwindow.
 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein proposing theutterance phrase comprises: displaying a conversation window containingthe utterance phrase; and skipping a current utterance phrase, which isdisplayed in the conversation window, according to an answer inputthrough the conversation window and switching the current utterancephrase to a next utterance phrase.
 5. The method according to claim 2,wherein proposing the utterance phrase comprises: displaying aconversation window containing the utterance phrase; and according to ananswer input through the conversation window and connectivity of theutterance phrase, skipping a current utterance phrase, which isdisplayed in the conversation window, and switching the currentutterance phrase to a next utterance phrase or re-displaying the currentutterance phrase.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein theutterance phrase is an inquiry asking a condition corresponding to theinitial query.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein when aplurality of the utterance phrases corresponding to the query areproposed, the plurality of the utterance phrases are offered to the userterminal at one time.
 8. A conversation based search system, functioningas a search engine, for searching the internet from a user terminal,comprising: an utterance section configured to extract a keyword from aninitial query input into a search window by a user through the userterminal, wherein the search system is configured to search the internetfor documents, wherein the documents are comprised of websites, web dataand databases, and to propose at least one predetermined utterancephrase corresponding to the initial query, based on the extractedkeyword, wherein the predetermined utterance phrase has been selectedfrom a database that includes a plurality of keywords stored therein,with each of said keywords being associated, in the database, with atleast one utterance phrase; and wherein the utterance section isconfigured to present the utterance phrase associated with the extractedkeyword to the user via the user terminal into the search window, andfurther wherein the utterance section is also configured to receive ananswer to the presented utterance phrase from the user by a touch on atouch-detection surface separated from the search window; a searchsection configured to reform the initial query based on the answer ofthe user to the utterance phrase that was proposed to the user by thesearch system, provide the reformed query to the search window, searchthe internet based on the reformed query, and offer a search result tothe user via the user terminal, where the search result corresponds tothe search based on the reformed query, wherein the search resultincludes a listing of a plurality of websites, wherein searching theinternet based on the reformed query is performed after receiving theuser's answer to a final utterance phrase presented to the user, withoutconducting a search of the internet based on the initial query, andwherein the reformed query is always made from the answer from the userto the utterance phrase in combination with at least one of the keywordscontained in the initial query.
 9. The system according to claim 8,wherein, when a plurality of the utterance phrases are proposed, theutterance section proposes the utterance phrases one by one in sequence.10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the utterance section isconfigured to: display a conversation window including at least one ofthe utterance phrases; and switch the utterance phrase displayed in theconversation window in accordance with user's input to the conversationwindow.
 11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the utterancesection is configured to: display a conversation window including theutterance phrase; and skip a current utterance phrase displayed in theconversation window in accordance with contents of an answer inputthrough the conversation window and switch the current utterance phraseto a next utterance phrase.
 12. The system according to claim 9, whereinthe utterance section is configured to: display a conversation windowincluding the utterance phrase; and according to an answer input throughthe conversation window and connectivity of the utterance phrase, skip acurrent utterance phrase displayed in the conversation window and switchthe current utterance phrase to the next utterance phrase, or re-displaythe current utterance phrase.
 13. The system according to claim 8,wherein the utterance phrase is an inquiry for requiring a searchcondition corresponding to the initial query.
 14. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium storing instructions to control a computersystem in communication with the internet for a document search of theinternet, the instructions controlling the computer system to executethe functions of a search engine, comprising: extracting a keyword froman initial query input into a search window by a user through a userterminal, wherein the search engine in configured to search the internetfor documents, wherein the documents are comprised of websites, webdata, and databases; proposing an utterance phrase corresponding to theinitial query based on the extracted keyword, wherein the utterancephrase has been selected from a database that includes a plurality ofkeywords stored therein, with each of said stored keywords beingassociated, in the database, with at least one utterance phrase;presenting the utterance phrase associated with the extracted keyword tothe user via the user terminal into the search window; receiving ananswer to the presented utterance phrase from the user by a touch on atouch-detection surface separated from the search window; reforming theinitial query based on the answer from the user to the utterance phrasethat was proposed to the user and providing the reformed query to thesearch window; conducting a search of the internet based on the reformedquery, said step of conducting a search of the internet is onlyperformed after receiving the user's answer to a final utterance phrasepresented to the user, without conducting a search of the internet basedon the initial query; and offering a search result to the user via theuser terminal, wherein the offered search result corresponds to thesearch based on the reformed query, wherein the search result includes alisting of a plurality of websites, and wherein the reformed query isalways made from the answer from the user to the utterance phrase incombination with at least one of the keywords contained in the initialquery.